Introduction to Logic Models

Introduction to Logic Models
LONG-TERM INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS SHORT- TERM MEDIUM- TERM OUTCOMES Talking Points: In this session we will discuss the basic principles for developing logic models and how they can be used for program planning, management, and evaluation. . This session is based on the guiding principles of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Logic Model Development Guide. Optional Session The Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 3 U48 DP S8 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Prevention Research Centers Program and the National Cancer Institute. The content of this curriculum is based upon findings and experiences of workgroup members and does not necessarily represent the official position of the funders.

Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice
Session Objectives Identify the basic components of a logic model Discuss the difference between inputs, activities, outputs, and outcomes Describe key benefits of using logic models in program planning, implementation, and evaluation Practice building a logic model Talking Points: The session objectives are: Identify the basic components of a logic model Discuss the differences between inputs, outputs, and outcomes; Describe key benefits of using logic models in program planning, implementation and evaluation; and You will also have a chance to practice building a logic model. Ask the Audience: Just a quick poll of hands: Who currently uses logic models in their work? Why or why not?  We will come back to you throughout this training with more questions about your experiences. We would like to hear examples from your work.

Logic Models Simplified graphic depiction of a program, initiative, or strategy Relationship map of: Resources invested Planned activities Benefits or changes that result Demonstrates the theory of change Useful in program planning, management, and communicating with partners Ask the Audience: What is a logic model? Talking Points: A logic model is a graphic depiction that provides an overview of a program, initiative, or strategy. Typically a logic model is designed in a table or flow chart format. You may even consider it a relationship map that shows the logical association between invested resources, planned activities, and the expected benefits or changes as a result of the program. Logic models are intended to demonstrate a program’s underlying theory of change which we will discuss in more detail later in this module. While logic models are commonly used in the context of evaluation, we find it equally helpful to use logic models for planning and program design, managing programs, and communicating with key partners. A familiar quote from Yogi Berra, an American baseball player and coach, comes to mind regarding the utility of logic models. It states, “If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up somewhere else”. Therefore logic models can serve as a roadmap to help ensure your program reaches its intended outcomes.

Purpose of Logic Models
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Purpose of Logic Models Clearly convey program goals Outline necessary resources and proposed activities Identify gaps in program logic and clarify assumptions Communicate roles and contributions from stakeholders and partners Talking Points: It is standard practice for many funders to request a logic model as part of a grant application. Unfortunately, more often than not, we find that the logic models created for grant proposals are not used once funding is awarded. Let’s look at how logic models can be a useful tool: Because they are pictorial in nature, logic models can clearly convey program goals, or the ideas of what you plan to do and why. Logic models can also outline what resources and people you have or need to do the work. They show what you expect to do and what will happen as a result of those activities. Logic models can also be used to justify program benefits and identify any gaps that may exist helping you set realistic outcome targets. A logic model can help build a shared understanding of what the program is and how all the parts work together. This is why a logic model can be extremely helpful when working with stakeholders and multiple partners. It helps communicate where their individual contributions fit into the larger program to support the overall goal. Lastly, logic models help hold stakeholders accountable for program activities and outcomes.

Basic Components Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact Planned Work Intended Results Talking Points: A logic model uses words, boxes, and arrows to create a picture that describes the sequence of activities thought to bring about change. Arrows and sequencing are used to designate how program activities are linked to the desired outcomes of the program. Inputs and activities describe what the program does (your planned work) while outputs, outcomes, and impact describe what the program sets out to accomplish (or your intended results).

Series of ‘if-then’ Relationships
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Series of ‘if-then’ Relationships Underlying a logic model is a series of ‘if-then’ relationships that express the program’s theory of change Inputs If we have these resources… Activities We can do this... Outputs Which will produce this… Outcomes Which will lead to these… Talking Points: You can also think of a logic model as a way to display a series of if-then relationships that may lead to the desired outcomes and the overall impact you are planning for. Reading a logic model means following the “chain of logic” depicting how you plan to achieve your desired outcome based on the scientific model or theory of change used to design your program. Starting on the left, we know that there are certain resources we will need to operate a program. If we have these resources then we can do these specific activities. If these planned activities are accomplished then they will produce these outputs. If this number of items are produced then we should get these outcomes, and if we have these outcomes then it should lead to this impact. Each step in the process supports the overall impact you are trying to achieve. Working through these sequences will help uncover gaps in logic, clarify assumptions, and help everyone understand how investments are likely to lead to results. Impact Then these…. Planned Work Intended Results

Simple Example Inputs Money Food Activities Eat Food Outputs Blood Sugar Rises Outcomes Feel Better Talking Points: Let’s take a look at a very simple example. You are having a very busy day at work trying to meet a major deadline. It is 2pm before you realize you have worked through lunch. Your stomach is growling, you have a slight headache, and you realize that your blood sugar is too low. In this very simplistic example, the change we want to see is that you feel better. Think about what you need in order for that to happen. If you have money and access to food then you can eat. If you eat the food, then your blood sugar will rise. If your blood sugar rises, you can expect to feel better. Our basic logic model describes the sequence of activities thought to bring about a change and how these components will lead to our desired outcome.

Using Logic Models Program Planning and Design
Links investments to activities Helps ensure program goals and objectives are feasible Program Implementation and Management Explains, tracks, and monitors operations and processes Connects resources, activities, and outcomes Communication Overview of how you will achieve desired outcomes Graphically depicts who is involved and what they contribute Evaluation Determines what to evaluate Focus on what data to collect when Talking Points: Let’s discuss why and how you can use logic models: Program Planning and Design: In program planning and design, having a logic model will help determine if you have what you need in order to run the program efficiently by directly linking program investments to specific program activities. Likewise, creating a logic model in the planning phase can better position your program for success by clarifying your program’s theory of change and determine if its goals and objectives are feasible. Program Implementation and Management: While managing the program a logic model should serve as the basis for the implementation plan that helps to identity and collect the data needed to track, monitor, and improve program activities and operations. For each program activity, you should be able to identify what outputs you aim to produce and what short term outcomes you expect to achieve for each activity. The logic model will help you consider what resources and activities are most critical for your intended outcomes and help you make adjustments as necessary to ensure you achieve your intended program outcomes. Communication: Logic models support communication, providing a visual tool that gives an overview of how you will achieve desired outcomes, who is involved, and what they contribute. Evaluation: Logic models also support evaluation by improving program design so that evaluation is more useful and effective. Logic models can help determine the most important aspects of your program, who your key stakeholders are, identify what data will be useful, what data is available and when data collection should take place.

Any Size or Type Program, Initiative, or Strategy
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Any Size or Type Program, Initiative, or Strategy Talking Points: Logic models can be applied to a small focused program (nutrition education program), a comprehensive initiative (developing greenways across the state), a process such developing a teen pregnancy prevention community coalition, the creation of a healthy eating policy, or even an organization-wide initiative. Logic models can be useful for single events or distribution of products as well policies and procedures.

Many Variations and Types
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Many Variations and Types Nested Detailed Storyboarding Logic models should: Be depicted in a single image Be readable from left to right Talking Points: There are many ways to create logic models. They come in different shapes and sizes, and some may use slightly different language from what we present in this session. It is important to understand that the type of model you need will depend heavily on your program and how you plan to use the logic model. For complex, multi-level initiatives you may use a nested, non-linear version. If you plan to use your logic model to guide implementation or evaluation, it will need to be more detailed than what you would use simply with stakeholders to describe overall program objectives. Some of you may be familiar with using storyboarding to describe your program. This is also a type of logic model. You may have a cyclical logic model design or one with circular flows of action involving feedback loops. Feedback loops are common in most programs because as we learn more about what is or isn’t working, we feed that information back into the program and make the necessary modifications. No matter how detailed your logic model is, it should always be a single image (no more than a page) that when read from left to right, describes the program over time (from initial planning through program results). Always remember that the logic model should be able to convey how your program will work to someone not intimately familiar with the program.

Logic Model Terminology
INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES Short Mid Long Talking Points: Let’s define some terminology and look more closely at each of the logic model components. This logic model includes the following components: inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes. Inputs: Inputs are the resources, people, possible solutions, and data needed to carry out a program. Activities: Activities are actions the staff and perhaps other stakeholders will be doing – the activities transform the inputs into the outputs. Outputs: Outputs are the tangible capacity or products that result from the activities. Outcomes: Outcomes are the specific changes in attitudes, behavior, knowledge, skills, or the level of functioning that result from the capacity change or number of products developed as outputs. We think of outcomes in three categories. Short-term outcomes would be expected typically in 1-2 years. Medium-term outcomes you expect in typically 3-5 years and long-term outcomes you will expect to see in 6 years or more.

Inputs: What We Invest Human Staff, time, partnerships Financial Funding, “in-kind” Organizational Infrastructure (in-direct) Community Assets Talking Points: Inputs are what we invest. Inputs include all the resources dedicated to or consumed by the program that are available to be used for the program to conduct its work. Staff time, volunteers, funding, facilities, equipment, supplies, and community assets and resources are all inputs. You should be able to include administrative infrastructure, materials, and any training for staff that would be necessary.

Activities: What We Do Develop products or resources Form coalitions or partnerships Teach, train, deliver services Assess/monitor Market or advocate Talking Points: Activities are what we do or what we offer. They are what the program does with the resources (or inputs) it has at its disposal in order to carry out the program. These are the actions and events that happen as part of program implementation. By conducting these activities, presumably changes will take place leading to anticipated results. Developing training curricula or serving fruit and vegetables in an after-school program are activities.

Outputs: What We Produce
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Outputs: What We Produce Tangible products that can be measured or counted Examples: Numbers or levels of output Classes taught Gardens established Policies enacted Articles published Audience reached Policy-makers engaged Communities adopting People participating Talking Points: A lot of people tend to get confused when we get this point. Outputs are the tangible products of the program activities or (in some cases even capacity) that you produce in the program. Think of outputs as evidence, or the things you can “put in your hands”. These can be counted or measured to distinguish the volume of work accomplished. Examples include the number of classes held, the number of volunteers trained, the number of people who heard the media message, or the number of clients served.

Outcomes Short-term Mid-term Long-term
Direct results or benefits of the program Can be seen at multiple levels of the social ecological model Mid-term Changes typically denoted in 3-5 years Long-term Demonstrate ultimate impact, 6-10 year changes Talking Points: There are 3 different levels of outcomes: short-term, mid-term, and long-term. Short-term outcomes are the direct results or benefits of the program. Short-term outcomes are the changes you expect to see because of the program’s completed activities and answer the question: what difference does the program make for participants, individuals, groups, families, and the community? Some planning models refer to short-term outcomes as “program impact.” Depending on your program, you may see short-term outcomes at multiple levels of the social ecological model. Short-term outcomes are your initial, immediate changes typically denoted in learning like awareness, knowledge, skills, opinions, aspirations, and motivations. Organizational level outcomes would include changes in practice or policy development. Community level outcomes may include the establishment of walking trails, availability of foods in a community, or the establishment of infrastructure. Mid-term outcomes are more intermediate or mid-term changes that are typically denoted in 3-5 years like changes in behavior, practice, decision-making, or enacting policies and social action. Long-term outcomes demonstrate your ultimate impact. Sometimes our programs are focused on outcomes for the total community whether it be a neighborhood, a large county area, or a statewide initiative. These types of changes would include changes in social norms, policies, or actions at the community level like changes in zoning or changes in attitudes towards poverty. These are the 6-10 year changes we hope to see as a result of our work – often times the ones funders like to see, for example changes in BMI, but it takes commitment and time to see these level of changes. In our model, impact is synonymous with the long-term outcome or your goal. It is the farthest right column on the logic model graphic. Impact refers to the ultimate, longer-term changes to social, economic, civic, or environmental conditions.

Example Outcomes Increase Knowledge Change in Practice Lower Incidence of Illness Short-term Mid-term Long-term Talking Points: Let’s take a quick look at an example regarding short, medium, and long-term outcomes. You are designing a program to address food safety in a senior living community with a high incidence of foodborne illness. Your short-term outcome will be to increase the seniors’ knowledge of food contamination risks. Your medium-term outcome may be that seniors practice safe cooling of foods and follow food preparation guidelines. Your long-term outcome or ultimate goal will be for seniors in this community to have a lowered incidence of foodborne illness. Adapted from: University of Wisconsin-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation

Activity: Building a Logic Model
Start building each component of a logic model Think about a specific program Use the logic model handout LONG-TERM INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS SHORT- TERM MEDIUM- TERM OUTCOMES Instructions for Activity: *Hand out activity sheet or direct participants to the correct handout in the training binder. They can review the instructions and work on this activity in small groups at tables. Ask the participants to take out the Logic Model Handout, and think about what program or policy they would like to apply it to. If they do not have one in mind, ask them to consider using Body and Soul or FLU-FIT/FOBT as an example. Instructions: Ask the participants to consider inputs, activities, and outcomes. Have participants fill out as much as they can using the blank logic model template (10 minutes). Discussion: Ask participants to briefly share their logic model components for feedback and discuss as a group any major challenges (5 minutes).

Putting It All Together
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Putting It All Together Logic Model Example for Program (General) Long: Social Economic Environment Health Staff Volunteers Time Money Research base Materials Equipment Technology Partners Conduct workshops Deliver services Develop products Create curriculums Train Consult Assess Facilitate Partner Number of workshops Number of clients served Number of classes held Number of persons trained Increased capacity Partnerships developed Short: Awareness Knowledge Attitudes Mid: Behavior Practice OUTCOMES INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS Talking Points: Let’s put it all together with your inputs (what you invest), activities (what you do), and outcomes (your results and overall impact). This is a general example of a logic model for a program. The arrows in your logic model represent links between activities and outcomes. Think of each arrow as a bridge between the two boxes. There should be a logical explanation (such as theory, research, previous evaluation, or evidence-based strategies) to justify your bridges.

Putting It All Together, cont.
Evidence-Based Strategies in Public Health Practice Putting It All Together, cont. Logic Model Example for Policy (General) Problems Solutions Politics Administr-ative structures Staff for advocacy Partners Prioritize problems Hold workshops about policy Engage policymaker champions Enact legislation Create taskforce Monitor effects of policy Number of media hits Number of marketing materials created Number of policy endorsements Number of communities/ agencies adopting policy Number of people reached by policy Policies enacted Taskforce created Short: Policy/ Environmental Changes (increased access, sales, etc.) Mid: Behavior Unintended consequences OUTCOMES Long: Social Economic Environment Health INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS Talking Points: Here is an example of a general logic model for a policy. Note the changes in outcomes compared to a program.

Check Points Meaningful: Valued and worth doing Plausible: Makes sense Doable: Can be carried out Measurable: Can be verified Talking Points: As you create your logic model, here are some check points to consider. It is important that your logic model is able to demonstrate the program's value – does the ultimate outcome represent a meaningful benefit or value to the public? Your logic model should clearly convey your program’s purpose. Is your program plausible? When you lay out the program elements, does your logic model demonstrate how the activities will reach/engage the intended audience? Is there a reasonable connection for how you will achieve program outcomes? According to your logic model, do the relationships among the program elements make sense? Is your program doable? Funders are specifically looking to see if what you have outlined for your program can actually be carried out. Your logic model should help you demonstrate the resources you need, if they are realistic given what you have planned, and how they will contribute to the proposed activities. Lastly, is your logic model measurable? A logic model can help keep track of program deliverables and progress towards outcomes. This will be very helpful for reporting and verifying what has been accomplished to stakeholders and funders. Adapted from University of Wisconsin-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation

What to Avoid Working alone Using logic models that are overly complex or burdensome Focusing on outcomes without adequate attention to inputs, activities, and outputs Allowing it to become ‘fixed’ rather than a revisable, living document Talking Points: To successfully use logic models for program planning, management, and evaluation, here are some things to avoid. First, don’t work on your logic model alone. Experience shows that best results are achieved when groups of staff and relevant stakeholders work together in developing the logic model. Include those who are likely to use the logic model like staff or administrators, board members, partner organizations, and key stakeholders. Creating logic models can become very time consuming, particularly when working with a large group. Often, people get hung up on language if they are not familiar with the way you are using terms so starting from a common ground is very important and may save you some time. If you find someone who likes logic models – it can be very helpful to have them guide the team. Some people just think that way – so it is good to have these people on your team but you also want to have a voice of reason as well so it doesn’t become overly complex or burdensome. There are some people who see logic models as simply an academic exercise and don’t see the day-to-day value to the actual program. Make sure your final product is LOGICAL and easy for partners to understand (not too detailed that it takes a magnifying glass to read it but not so basic that you can’t follow the relationships that connect your activities to your outcomes). Another temptation for some is to focus too much on outcomes without adequate attention to inputs, outputs, and the logical relationships that connect the program. There should be logical explanations based on theory, evaluations, or evidence-based strategies to justify these connections. Lastly, don’t succumb to the idea that once a logic model is created it is done and filed away. We all know that programs are fluid and dynamic. Changes happen that dramatically impact what has been planned for your program. Therefore, your logic model will need to be updated to reflect those changes and continue to be updated on an on-going basis. Pull it out at least quarterly to help monitor your progress towards change. Adapted from: University of Wisconsin-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation

Take Home Points Logic models serve as a roadmap to help ensure your program reaches its intended outcomes Can come in many formats Should be clear and understandable Should display the program theory through logical linkages Time and practice are required – the more you do logic models, the better you will become! Talking Points: Logic models serve as a roadmap to help ensure your program reaches its intended outcomes. There are many formats a logic model can take. Some logic models may be circular, horizontal, or vertical. Some show assumptions and how environmental factors impact a program while some show only parts of a full model and others may only include outputs and outcomes. Most importantly, your logic model should be clear and understandable to those who will use it and display the program theory through logical linkages between and among the elements. As you review your logic model, check to see if it is meaningful, plausible, doable, and measurable to ensure your program’s success. Time and practice are required to use logic models effectively. The more you do them the better you will become.

Questions? Ask the Audience: Do you have any questions?

References W.K. Kellogg Foundation. (2004). Logic Model Development Guide. Accessed April 7, 2016. University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension (2008). Building capacity in evaluating outcomes: A teaching and facilitating resource for community-based programs and organizations. Madison, WI: UW-Extension, Program Development and Evaluation.

Introduction to Logic Models

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